Three Days near Nashville

Sunset on our first evening by Old Hickory Lake

We are at Cedar Creek Campground on Old Hickory Lake in north-central Tennessee, which offers 60 campsites and limitless options for activities like boating, hiking, fishing and relaxing on the swim beach.

Old Hickory Lake is a 22,500 acre reservoir, primarily fed by the waters of the Cumberland River. The lake is surrounded by shady wooded areas and grassy flatlands, and offers an impressive 440 miles of scenic shoreline.

The lake is named after the 7th U.S. President, Andrew Jackson, a Tennessee-native who earned the nickname "Old Hickory," because of his tough, aggressive personality.

This campground is conveniently located a 30 minute drive from downtown Nashville, Tennessee which we visited on our second day. We made a reservation to take the 11AM Redneck Comedy Tour Bus around the downtown. Hosted by professional comedians, this comedy club on wheels promises laughs at every turn! According to their website, "This ain't your average bus tour! A camouflage bus, proudly adorned with steer horns, sets the stage for an unforgettable journey through Nashville's iconic sights! With over 15 years of fun under our Belt. The Redneck Comedy Bus Tour promises laughter, charm & memorable views of the city!"

After our bus tour we drove into the downtown for lunch to one of the many foodie restaurants we had been told about.

We choose The Stillery on 2nd Avenue and had an amazing meal. I ordered a Hot Chicken Sandwich with a side of Mac'n'Cheese and Karen ordered the Mac'n'Cheese topped with Hot Chicken.

Hot chicken (or Nashville hot chicken) is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, Tennessee. In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried and finally covered in a paste or sauce that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. This method of preparation originates within African American communities in the Southern United States. A richly pigmented seasoning paste gives the fried chicken its reddish hue. Spice blends, preparation methods and heat intensity vary, depending on the recipe and chef.

Karen ordered her "hot" sauce on the side

After this huge meal we had to walk off some of the calories so we enjoyed the Broadway Strip and walked towards the Country Music Hall of Fame not far from where we parked the truck across the street from the Nashville Marriott Hotel. After spending three hours around the downtown area we drove towards Vanderbilt University to visit another very unique architectural site in the city.

The Parthenon in Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. Today, the Parthenon, which functions as an art museum, stands as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, a large public park just west of downtown Nashville.

This is the world’s only exact-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens.

The afternoon of day three was spent visiting President Andrew Jackson's Home named "The Hermitage". We entered through an impressive museum dedicated to "the People's President" and his colorful life and history. After reading many of the displays we walked to the mansion for our tour of the interior.

The Hermitage is a National Historic Landmark and museum located in Davidson County, Tennessee, United States, 10 miles east of downtown Nashville in the neighborhood of Hermitage. The 1,000-acre site was owned by President Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, from 1804 until his death there in 1845. It also serves as his final resting place. Jackson lived at the property intermittently until he retired from public life in 1837.

This is the view from the rear of the mansion. The brick building to the right is the smokehouse and to the left of the expanse of lawn behind the white picket fence is where the beautiful garden is located.

The Hermitage is built in a secluded meadow that was chosen as a house site by Jackson's wife, Rachel. From 1804 to 1821 the couple lived there in a log cabin. Together the home and the West, East, and Southeast cabins formed the First Hermitage. Considered by many historians to be the best preserved early U.S. presidential home, the mansion at The Hermitage has welcomed 17.5 million visitors from around the world since opening as a museum in 1889.

An award-winning interior restoration was carried out between 1989 and 1997. Today, more than 80 percent of items on display are original, including furniture, wallpaper and family possessions, giving visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the family in the years of Andrew Jackson’s retirement (1837-1845).

The whole experience was fascinating and the museum, grounds, and buildings are in beautiful condition. We were both surprised to learn the Hermitage is the second oldest presidential home in the country, second only to Mt. Vernon.

We would recommend it on any trip to the Nashville area as a must see. We were so impressed with the experience we rented from Apple TV and watched the 1953 movie, "The President's Lady" to see how well it followed the actual account of the life of Andrew and Rachel Jackson. Charlton Heston portrayed Jackson in the movie and does a great job in the role.